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Sixth Day
-
Novel VII

[Voice:
filostrato
]

[
001
]
Madonna Filippa, being found by her husband with her
lover, is cited before the court, and by a ready and
jocund answer acquits herself, and brings about an alteration of the
statute.

[Voice:
author
]

[
002
]
Fiammetta had been silent some time, but Scalza's
novel argument to prove the pre-eminent nobility of the Baronci kept all still laughing,
when the queen called for a story from Filostrato, who thus began:

[Voice:
filostrato
]

[
003
]
Noble ladies, an excellent thing is apt speech on all occasions,
but to be proficient therein I deem then most excellent when the occasion does most
imperatively demand it. As was the case with a gentlewoman, of whom I purpose to speak to
you, who not only ministered gaiety and merriment to her hearers, but extricated herself,
as you shall hear, from the toils of an ignominious death.

[Voice:
filostrato
]

[
004
]
There was aforetime in the city of Prato a statute
no less censurable
than harsh, which, making no distinction between the
wife
whom her husband took in adultery with her lover, and the woman
found pleasuring a stranger for money, condemned both alike to be
burned.
[
005
]
While this statute was in force, it befell that a gentle-woman,
fair and
beyond measure enamoured, Madonna Filippa by
name, was by her husband,
Rinaldo de' Pugliesi, found in her own
chamber one night in the arms of
Lazzarino de' Guazzagliotri, a
handsome young noble of the same city, whom
she loved even as
herself. [
006
]
Whereat Rinaldo, very wroth, scarce refrained
from falling
upon them and killing them on the spot; and indeed, but that
he
doubted how he should afterwards fare himself, he had given way to
the
vehemence of his anger, and so done. [
007
]
Nor, though he so far
mastered himself, could he forbear recourse to the statute, thereby
to compass that which he might not otherwise lawfully compass, to
wit, the
death of his lady. [
008
]
Wherefore, having all the evidence
needful to prove her
guilt, he took no further counsel; but, as soon
as 'twas day, he charged
the lady and had her summoned. [
009
]
Like
most ladies that are veritably
enamoured, the lady was of a high
courage; and, though not a few of her
friends and kinsfolk sought
to dissuade her, she resolved to appear to the
summons, having liefer
die bravely confessing the truth than basely flee
and for defiance of
the law live in exile, and shew herself unworthy of
such a lover as
had had her in his arms that night. [
010
]
And so, attended by
many ladies
and gentlemen, who all exhorted her to deny the charge, she
came
before the Podestà, and with a composed air and unfaltering
voice
asked whereof he would interrogate her. [
011
]
The Podestà,
surveying her,
and taking note of her extraordinary beauty, and exquisite
manners,
and the high courage that her words evinced, was touched with
compassion
for her, fearing she might make some admission, by reason
whereof, to save his honour, he must needs do her to death. [
012
]
But
still, as
he could not refrain from examining her of that which was
laid to her
charge, he said:
“
Madam, here, as you see, is your
husband, Rinaldo, who
prefers a charge against you, alleging that he
has taken you in adultery,
and so he demands that, pursuant to a
statute which is in force here, I
punish you with death: but this I
may not do, except you confess;
wherefore be very careful what you
answer, and tell me if what your
husband alleges against you be true.
”
[
013
]
The lady, no wise dismayed, and
in a tone not a little jocund, thus
made answer:
“
True it is, Sir, that
Rinaldo is my husband, and
that last night he found me in the arms of
Lazzarino, in whose arms
for the whole-hearted love that I bear him I have
ofttimes lain; nor
shall I ever deny it; but, as well I wot you know, the
laws ought
to be common and enacted with the common consent of all that
they
affect; [
014
]
which conditions are wanting to this law, inasmuch as it
binds only us poor women, in whom to be liberal is much less reprehensible
than it were in men; and furthermore the consent of no
woman was--I say
not had, but--so much as asked before 'twas
made; for which reasons it
justly deserves to be called a bad law.
[
015
]
However, if in scathe of my body
and your own soul, you are
minded to put it in force, 'tis your affair;
but, I pray you, go not
on to try this matter in any wise,
until you have granted me this
trifling grace, to wit, to ask my husband
if I ever gainsaid him, but
did not rather accord him, when and so often
as he craved it, complete
enjoyment of myself.
”
[
016
]
Whereto Rinaldo,
without awaiting
the Podestà's question, forthwith answered, that
assuredly the lady
had ever granted him all that he had asked of her for
his gratification.
[
017
]
“
Then,
”
promptly continued the lady,
“
if he has
ever had of me as
much as sufficed for his solace, what was I or am I to
do with the
surplus? Am I to cast it to the dogs? Is it not much better
to
bestow it on a gentleman that loves me more dearly than himself,
than
to suffer it to come to nought or worse?
”
[
018
]
Which jocund
question being
heard by well-nigh all the folk of Prato, who had
flocked thither all agog
to see a dame so fair and of such quality on
her trial for such an
offence, they laughed loud and long, and then
all with one accord, and as
with one voice, exclaimed that the lady
was in the right and said well;
nor left they the court until in
concert with the Podestà they had
so altered the harsh statute as
that
thenceforth only such women as
should wrong their husbands for
money should be within its
purview.

[Voice:
filostrato
]

[
019
]
Wherefore Rinaldo left the court, discomfited of his
foolish
enterprise; and the lady blithe and free, as if rendered back to
life
from the burning, went home triumphant.